Below Stairs : : the Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey

Locations
Call Number: 641.509 Po
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	641.509 Po	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Orignally published: London : Davies, 1968.
"A kitchen-maid's through-the-key hole memoir of life in the great houses of England--now a bestseller in the UK. At fifteen, she arrived at the servants' entrance to begin her life as a kitchen maid in 1920s England. The lowest of the low, her world was one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5:30am and went on until after dark. In this captivating memoir, Margaret tells her tales of service with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye. From the gentleman with a penchant for stroking housemaids' curlers, to raucous tea dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress's nephew, Below Stairs brilliantly evokes the longvanished world of masters and servants portrayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs. Rocketing back on to the UK bestseller lists almost fifty years after its initial publication, this is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high"--Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Strangely Compelling Account of Turn of the Century Toil submitted by sdunav on June 18, 2012, 7:00pm Hmm, I think the subtitle must have been added in the last few years.

This is an interesting memoir, and very down to earth and insightful. Powell started as a kitchen maid (think Daisy in 'Downton Abbey'), then went on to become a cook in the 1920's-30's, in a variety of households. Some were bleak, with miserly masters and mistresses, and some were better. All of her positions involved a tremendous amount of physical labor.

Powell wasn't the most gifted writer, but her opinions come across despite this. Her bitterness over missed opportunities make you appreciate that the "good old days" weren't so good for a large proportion of the population.

simple story submitted by unknown on July 13, 2012, 6:31am This is an interesting story of the downstairs maid. The writer has a very simple style as would a person of her stature might have.
This book was thought to be the basis of Upstairs Downstairs - a dated but wonderful series

My kids need to read this! submitted by andrea on August 30, 2013, 10:14pm This is a fascinating glimpse at the life of a lower class woman in Edwardian England, and was one of the inspirations for both Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey. I want my kids to read the chapters about the amount of work this woman did at home as a very young girl, and for hire starting at the age of 13. Next time they complain about chores, I'm going to pull out this book!

Quite funny book submitted by willow on July 27, 2014, 6:49am Margaret Powell's book is quite interesting, and amusing, and discusses how she began life in service at 14 and worked her way up to being a cook. There are several interesting memoirs by those who worked in service, including Winifred Foley and Monica Dickens, the great-granddaughter of Charles who tried various professions so she could write about them (you can obtain them through a MeL loan), and after reading any of these, don't miss Lucy Lethbridge's book Servants, which discusses these and more!

Intimate Portrait of Service submitted by apicknell on July 10, 2015, 8:58pm Margaret Powell gives readers a no-frills recounting of her years of lordly service. Her feelings range from bitter and strained to grateful and amused. She gives us the story of her life as it was - sometimes happy, sometimes sad. Hers will be a story we turn to time and again to help us understand a time and employment system now gone.

Interesting woman submitted by pk on July 21, 2019, 5:05pm This is a moderately interesting memoir of a pretty interesting woman. Her tales of what it was like to work in the big houses (or even small houses) gives you a picture of a lot more work and a lot less respect than you see on series such as "Downton Abbey". And a whole lot more gossiping about their employers, sometimes. What really shines through are her thoughts about class and a "woman's place" in her time (1920s and on). Very interesting to read the voice of a woman of that time and class. Not a long book, and worth a look.